Conventionally, there are existing programs for utilizing icons corresponding to applications stored in information processing apparatuses. For example, “Nintendo DSi Toriatsukai Setsumeisho Sousa-hen” 2-3 pages [online], 2008, Nintendo Co., Ltd., retrieved Sep. 15, 2010 through the Internet
<URL:http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/support/pdf/dsmanual_B.pdf> (Literature 1) discloses menu screens which are displayed when the power supply of a game machine body is turned ON. In such menu screens, icons corresponding to application programs stored in cards (storage unit) inserted in the card slots, or icons corresponding to application programs embedded in the game machine body are displayed.
However, an icon corresponding to an application program stored in a card is displayed in a menu screen disclosed in Literature 1 only when the card is inserted, and when no card is inserted, a predetermined icon representing non-insertion state is displayed. That is, those icons which correspond to applications that are not currently installed are not displayed, and thus it is not possible to understand whether such applications have been activated in the past.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus, a storage medium, an information processing method, and an information processing system which accumulate and store metadata corresponding to application programs and thereby enable use of metadata corresponding to application programs that cannot currently be activated or displayed on the menu screen but have been activated or displayed on the menu screen in the past.
The present invention employs the following configuration to solve the above-described problems.
The present invention is an information processing apparatus provided with a metadata storage section, and comprises application execution means and metadata accumulation and storage means. The application execution means executes one or more application programs. The metadata accumulation and storage means accumulates and stores, into the metadata storage section, metadata corresponding to the one or more application programs when the application programs have been executed or become executable. The application execution means executes the one or more application programs which use the metadata stored in the metadata storage section.
According to this configuration, even metadata corresponding to an application program which is not ready to be activated can be used for information processing as long as the application program has been activated in the past.
Further, the application execution means may execute a first application program which uses the metadata stored in the metadata storage section, and a second application program which uses the metadata.
According to this configuration, it is possible to use metadata stored in the metadata storage section for a plurality of application programs.
Further, the first application program may be an application program that performs a first information process by using the metadata stored in the metadata storage section, and the second application program may be an application program that performs a second information process which is different from the first information process, by using the metadata stored in the metadata storage section.
According to this configuration, it is possible to use metadata stored in the metadata storage section as targets of a plurality of different information processes.
Further, the first application program may be an application program that outputs in a first mode the metadata stored in the metadata storage section, and the second application program may be an application program that outputs in a second mode the metadata stored in the metadata storage section which is different from the first mode.
According to this configuration, it is possible to output metadata stored in the metadata storage section in a plurality of modes.
Further, the information processing apparatus may further comprise metadata transmission and reception means for transmitting the metadata stored in the metadata storage section to one or more other information processing apparatuses, and for receiving metadata from the one or more other information processing apparatuses. The metadata accumulation and storage means may further accumulate and store metadata received from the one or more other information processing apparatuses into the metadata storage section.
According to this configuration, since metadata is received from another information processing apparatus, the user can obtain information (metadata) of application programs which are executed on the other apparatus, but have not been executed on the own apparatus.
Further, the metadata transmission and reception means may repeatedly searches for one or more other information processing apparatuses that are present in a short distance wireless communication range for automatically establishing wireless connection therewith, and automatically transmit and receive the metadata to and from the one or more other information processing apparatuses that have been wirelessly connected.
According to this configuration, repetitive transmission and reception are performed between information processing apparatuses automatically, and thus metadata of applications which may be used in the future can be obtained in advance. That is, effective metadata collection can be performed. In addition, metadata is received from another information processing apparatus without being recognized by the user. Thus, when the user is to deal with an application, the user will notice the addition of new metadata, which gives the user a surprise.
Further, the information processing apparatus may further comprise specified apparatus reception means for receiving an operation by a user of specifying one or more of the other information processing apparatuses. The metadata transmission and reception means may transmit the metadata stored in the metadata storage section to the one or more of the other information processing apparatuses specified by the specified apparatus reception means, and receives metadata transmitted from the one or more of the other information processing apparatuses.
According to this configuration, the user and a user of a specified destination information processing apparatus can mutually show applications that the other party does not know.
The application program may output the metadata received from the one or more other information processing apparatuses. The information processing apparatus may further comprise selection reception means for receiving a selection operation by the user of selecting any of the outputted metadata; detailed information obtaining means for obtaining, upon reception of the selection operation by the selection reception means, detailed information on an application program corresponding to the metadata selected by the selection operation; and detailed information output means for outputting the detailed information obtained by the detailed information obtaining means.
According to this configuration, the user can obtain detailed information of an application program represented by the metadata received from another information processing apparatus, by selecting the metadata, and thus the user can easily access the detailed information when the user has obtained metadata of an unknown application program.
Further, the detailed information obtaining means may receive and obtain the detailed information from the server.
According to this configuration, the user obtains detailed information from the server, and thus the user can obtain detailed information related to an application program that is yet to be released before shipping of the information processing apparatus. In addition, the user can obtain the latest detailed information.
Further the detailed information may include guide information for causing the user to purchase the application program corresponding to the metadata selected by the selection operation.
According to this configuration, the user can access, by selecting metadata, the guide information for purchasing an application program represented by metadata received from another information processing apparatus, and thus the user can easily purchase the application.
Further, the information processing apparatus may perform a predetermined transaction process with a server in order to purchase the application program, and when the selection reception means has received the selection operation, the detailed information obtaining means may receive and obtain from the server the detailed information including the guide information.
According to this configuration, the user can easily and quickly purchase content data which is used by another user when the user desires to purchase the content data.
Further, the guide information is information for purchase operation guidance which causes the user to purchase the application program corresponding to the metadata selected by the selection operation. The information processing apparatus may further comprise purchase operation reception means for receiving the purchase operation performed by the user in accordance with the guide information; purchase request transmission means for transmitting to the server a request for purchasing the application program whose purchase operation has been received by the purchase operation reception means; and application reception means for receiving from the server the application program whose purchase has been requested for.
According to this configuration, the user can easily and quickly purchase an application program in accordance with the guide information.
Further, the guide information is information for purchase operation guidance which causes the user to purchase the application program corresponding to the metadata selected by the selection operation. The information processing apparatus may further comprise: purchase operation reception means for receiving the purchase operation performed by the user in accordance with the guide information; purchase request transmission means for transmitting to the server a request for purchasing the application program whose purchase operation has been received by the purchase operation reception means; payment-related information reception means for receiving, from the server, payment-related information for providing the user with guidance on operations for inputting payment information; payment-related information output means for outputting the payment-related information; payment operation reception means for receiving from the user the input of the payment information performed in accordance with the guidance in the payment-related information; payment information transmission means for transmitting to the server the payment information received by the payment operation reception means; and application reception means for receiving from the server the application program whose purchase has been requested for.
According to this configuration, the user can easily and quickly perform a purchase operation which includes a payment process for an application program to be purchased in accordance with the guide information.
Further, the information processing apparatus may further comprise reading means for reading data from an external storage medium which has stored therein an application program and metadata corresponding to the application program, and which is detachably mounted to the information processing apparatus. When data in the external storage medium is read by the reading means, the metadata accumulation and storage means may accumulate and store, into the metadata storage section, the metadata stored in the external storage medium.
According to this configuration, it is possible to store metadata of an application program which is stored in an external storage medium upon its mounting.
Further, the information processing apparatus may further comprise list output means for outputting a list of application programs executable by the application execution means. When any of the application programs in the list has been selected by means of a predetermined operation by the user, the application execution means may execute the selected application program, and the metadata accumulation and storage means may accumulate and store, into the metadata storage section, the metadata corresponding to the selected application program.
According to this configuration, metadata corresponding to an executed application program can be stored upon its execution.
Further, the information processing apparatus may further comprise list output means for outputting a list of application programs executable by the application execution means. When any of the application programs in the list has been selected by means of a predetermined operation by the user, the application execution means may execute the selected application program, and when the list is outputted, the metadata accumulation and storage means may accumulate and store, into the metadata storage section, the metadata corresponding to the application programs included in the list.
According to this configuration, since metadata is accumulated when a list including application programs is outputted, the metadata can be stored along with the outputting of the list.
Further, the application programs may obtain execution time representing how long the application programs have been executed within a predetermined period of time, and output the metadata corresponding to the application programs whose execution time satisfies a predetermined condition.
According to this configuration, metadata corresponding to application programs whose execution time satisfies predetermined conditions is outputted, and thus the user can visually-easily understand the decision result, under a predetermined condition, on the execution time of the application programs.
Further, the application programs may create a list of metadata stored in the metadata storage section, and output the list.
According to this configuration, the user can refer to metadata accumulated and stored in the past.
Further, the metadata may include icons representing the application programs.
According to this configuration, the user can visually-easily recognize the contents of application programs.
Further, the metadata may include titles of the application programs.
According to this configuration, the user can easily recognize the contents of application programs.
In the above description, the present invention is configured as an information processing apparatus. However, the present invention may be configured as an information processing program, an information processing method, or an information processing system. Further, the present invention may be configured as a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein the information processing program.
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing apparatus, a storage medium, an information processing method, and an information processing system, which enable, in information processing, use of metadata of an application program which cannot be currently activated or displayed on the menu screen but has been activated or displayed on the menu screen in the past, by accumulating and storing the metadata corresponding to the application program.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.